That’s been the trend in Massachusetts lately, with multiple special elections adding to the congestion.

“I don’t think there’s been a precedent in Massachusetts in recent memory for such a high number of special elections,” said Peter Ubertaccio, director of the Martin Institute at Stonehill College.

The election calendar just got a little more crowded, as the municipal ballots for Taunton and Fall River were set this past week.

Fall River’s field of candidates is large enough to necessitate a preliminary election in the mayor’s race, while Taunton will just have its general city election in the fall.

Since national and statewide elections are radically different than municipal elections, some political pundits say it is difficult to ascertain what effect voter fatigue may have on the local level.

“I do believe there is voter fatigue, but I don’t believe it’s the only reason we see people not turning out to vote in elections,” Ubertaccio said. “We know national elections draw far more attention and far more voters. With municipal elections, we know voter turnout declines almost automatically.”

One factor in that phenomenon, former Taunton Mayor Charles Crowley said, is that there are fewer news sources that provide voters information on local elections compared to statewide or national elections.

Crowley said he’s also noticed a cultural shift and general decline in interest in municipal elections.

“I think back in the ’80s there was still a significant portion of the electorate who felt it was a responsibility to go out and vote,” Crowley said. “The younger generations were not instilled with that responsibility or that commitment to get out there and vote no matter what.”

In the past few years, the election calendar has been flooded. Following the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy, Massachusetts held a special U.S. Senate primary in December 2009 and special U.S. Senate election in early 2010 to replace him. Later in 2010, there were primaries and a general election for statewide offices.

Sandwiched among those election cycles, many cities, including Taunton and Fall River held municipal elections in 2011.

The national primaries and elections came in 2012. When Sen. John Kerry resigned earlier this year to become secretary of state, that created the need for yet another special U.S. Senate primary and election.

As the ballots for this year’s municipal elections take shape, the field of candidates gearing up for the 2014 statewide election is forming.

There have been a couple of special state legislature elections thrown into the mix as well. Voters in parts of Fall River and Freetown, for example, head to the polls Tuesday to pick party nominees in the special election to fill the 6th Bristol House seat, which was left vacant following Rep. David Sullivan’s resignation to become director of the Fall River Housing Authority. The special election will be in September.

Page 2 of 2 - There’s a situation where voters are being asked to process a lot in a little amount of time,”

Ubertaccio said. “We have had seven U.S. senators in the past few years. That’s a degree of change Massachusetts is not used to.”

The two-year municipal election cycles, such as those in Fall River and Taunton, add to the election calendar congestion. Ubertaccio favors four-year terms.

“It’s very difficult to effect change in two years time,” he said. “The first year alone you’re spending governing with the budget and legacy your predecessor put forward. If you’re making significant change, it’s almost impossible to make that in two years time. Even the contracts have been negotiated before you’ve arrived.”